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Norwegian milk monitoring - grazing animals

Norwegian milk monitoring - grazing animals

Abstract

This data set contains monitoring data for radiocaesium in milk from cows and goats that are grazing on uncultivated land. In many areas, it is customary for Norwegian cows, goats and sheep to graze on mountain pastures or other uncultivated land during the summer. In areas of central Norway, which are still heavily contaminated from the Chernobyl accident, the radiocaesium levels in plants and mushrooms on uncultivated land can be high and result in high levels in the milk and meat of the grazing animals.The NRPA monitors the levels of radiocaesium in cow's and goat's milk throughout the summer to estimate whether early countermeasures will be necessary in order to reduce the levels in the meat before slaughter in the autumn. The milk is measured weekly from June to September. The programme also includes monitoring of radiocaesium in live sheep from one area.

STAR partner

NRPA

Type of data

Monitoring

Sample number

>1000

Quality

Spatially referenced

Yes

Ecosystem type

Terrestrial

Sample type

Cow's and goat's milk; Sheep live monitoring

Date

1988 - ongoing

Languages

Norwegian

Status

On-going programme

Obtain data

Please Contact: Gunnar.Kinn@nrpa.no to discuss access to, and use of, the data. A joint research cooperation between NRPA and the institution demanding data is preferable.

Key reference sources

Data ownership

NRPA

Database format

Excel

Figure information

1) Dairy goats in the mountains during summer 2) Dairy goats in the mountains during summer 3) Drying hay in western Norway (Photographs: Nick Beresford, NERC-CEH)